Saturday symposium to look at role of 'Race, Ethnicity and Class in Incarceration'

Friday

May 2, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Susan Burton, founder of the nonprofit organization A New Way of Life, will share her story of her rise from prison inmate to CNN Community Hero at Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail's 10th annual Spring Symposium.

Susan Burton, founder of the nonprofit organization A New Way of Life, will share her story of her rise from prison inmate to CNN Community Hero at Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail's 10th annual Spring Symposium.

Titled "The Coloring of Law and Punishment: Exploring the Role of Race, Ethnicity and Class in Incarceration," the event will be held at the Discover Portsmouth Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 3.

Having served six prison terms for drug offenses in the 1980s and '90s, Burton knows from experience how hard it can be to reenter a community.

"Every time I was released, I swore I wasn't going back," she says, "But I know now that without the resources and support, it's next to impossible. When you walk out of a prison door, they say pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Well damn, we don't have no boots, so how do you pull up something that ain't there?"

At 46 years old, Burton didn't have a lot going for her. It was 1997. She was fresh out of jail, and not for the first time. On her way out the prison guard said, "I'll see you back in a little while." It wasn't unlikely.

Years before, Burton's 5-year-old son had been killed when he ran into the street and was struck by a car being driven by an off-duty police officer. Wild with grief, she took drugs, became addicted, got arrested for a nonviolent crime, went to prison, got out and then did it all over and over again.

After cycling in and out of the criminal justice system for nearly 20 years, Burton gained freedom and sobriety and founded A New Way of Life in 1998, helping women being released from jails and institutions by provide housing, legal assistance, child care, and more as they rebuild their lives, reunite with their families, and reintegrate into society.

In addition to Burton's story, the symposium will explore the history of law and punishment in New Hampshire, the disproportionate incarceration of minorities and the range of social problems associated with incarceration. Presenters will examine the impact of incarceration on communities of color, the generalized criminalization of those communities most affected by poverty and racial discrimination and what a shift from punitive to restorative justice in the way our criminal system addresses crime would look like.

The opening address outlining shifting federal prosecution priorities in New Hampshire will be given by United States District Attorney John Kacavas. The keynote address featuring Burton will follow opening address.

A short film, "The Scholar and the Sailor," that shows how a book changed one prisoner's life, will be presented by professor Jeff Bolster during lunch.

A panel discussion featuring Courtney Marshall, Brenda Lett and Andrew Smith, will bring the dialogue full circle by offering not only a historical perspective on law and punishment but will also focus on current issues around incarceration, race, ethnicity and class.

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